The developer of Tales Of Kenzera: Zau, Surgent Studios has announced that their follow-up game will be an “Afro-Gothic RPG”.
Tales Of Kenzera: Zau was released in April earlier this year to generally favourable reviews. The Metroidvania video game follows Zau, a young shaman grieving his father who sets out on a fantastical journey into a mythological land to capture the spirits of three monsters as an offering to Kalunga, the God of Death, who promises to revive his father. The game was directed by Abubakar Salim, a voice and screen actor (Assassin’s Creed Origins, Raised by Wolves) turned game developer, and was shaped by his own experiences with grief.
Now, speaking to VideoGameChronicles.com, Salim showed a pitch for the studio’s next game codenamed Project Uso, an isometric RPG. The game is still set in the Tales of Kenzera universe but is described as “darker, it’s more visceral, it’s gritty”. “The best way I can describe it is a single-player, isometric, Afro-Gothic action RPG” Salim told VGC.
Salim also discussed the project’s gaming mechanics in the interview, saying “As passionate Dungeons & Dragons players, Surgent team and I knew we wanted to try our hand at creating our own RPG system. As a way to give Project Uso a fast-paced, real-time feel, we created the crucible system, which requires players to roll against themselves.”
The game is currently seeking funding and Surgent Studios is looking for a project partner. The developer recently notified its staff of redundancy as it sought funding for the project.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch.
Words by Louise Eve Leigh
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